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#?y 


Conf  Pam  l2mo  m 


MESSAGE   OF    THE   PRESIDENT. 


To  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives 

of  the  Confederate  States  of  America  : 

The  great  importance  of  the  news  first  received  from  Ten- 
nessee induces  me  to  depart  from  established  usage,  and  to 
make  to  you  this  communication  in  advance  of  official  re- 
ports. 

From  telegraphic  dispatches  received  from  official  sources, 
I  am  able  to  announce  to  you  with  entire  confidence  that  it 
has  pleased  Almighty  God  to  crown  the  Confederate  arras 
with  a  glorious  and  decisive  victory  over  our  invaders. 

On  the  morning  of  the  6th  inst.,  the  converging  columns 
of  our  army  were  combined  by  its  commander-in-chief,  Gen. 
A.  S.  Johnston,  in  an  assault  on  the  Federal  army,  then 
encamped  near  Pittsburg,  on  the  Tennessee  River.  After 
a  hard  fought  battle  of  ten  hours,  the  enemy  was  driven  in 
disorder  from  his  position  and  pursued  to  the  Tennessee 
River,  where,  under  cover  of  his  gunboats,  he  was,  at  the 
last  accounts,  endeavoring  to  effect  his  retreat  by  aid  cf  his 
transports. 

The  details  of  this  great  battle  are  yet  too  few  and  in- 
complete to  enable  me  to  distinguish  with  merited  praise  all 
of  those  who  may  have  conspicuously  earned  the  right  to 
such  distinction ;  and  I  prefer  to  delay  my  own  gratifica- 
tion in  recommending  them  to  your  special  notice,  rather 


than  incur  the  risk  cf  wounding  the  feelings  of  any  by  fail- 
ing to  include  them  in  the  list.     Where  such  a  victory  has 

been  won  over  troops  as  numerous,  as  well  disciplined, 
armed  and  appointed  as  those  which  have  just  been  so  sig- 
nally routed,  we  may  well  conclude  that  one  common  spirit, 
of  unflinching  bravery  and  devotion  to  our  country's  cause 
must  have  animated  every  breast,  from  that  of  the  com- 
manding General  to  that  of  the  humblest  patriot  who  served 
in  the  ranks. 

There  is  enough  in  the  continued  presence  of  invaders  on 
our  soil  to  chasten  our  exultation  over  this  brilliant  success, 
and  to  remind  us  of  the  grave  duty  of  continued  exertion 
until  we  shall  extort  from  a  proud  and  vain-glorious  cnemy 
the  reluctant  acknowledgment  of  our  right  to  self-govern- 
ment. But  an  all-wise  Creator  has  been  pleased,  while 
vouchsafing  to  us  His  countenance  in  battle,  to  afflict  us 
with  a  severe  dispensation,  to  which  we  must  bow  in  humble 
submission.  The  last  lingering  hope  has  disappeared,  and 
it  is  but  too  true  that  General  Albert  Sidney  Johnston  is 
no  more.  The  tale  of  his  death  is  simply  narrated  in  a 
despatch  first  received  from  Col.  William  Preston  in  the 
following  words  : 

"  General  Johnston  fell  yesterday  at  half-past  two  o'clock, 
while  leading  a  successful  charge,  turning  the  enemy's 
right  and  gaining  a  brilliant  victory.  A  Minnie  ball  cut 
the  artery  of  his  leg,  but  he  rode  on  till,  from  loss  of  blood, 
he  fell  exhausted,  and  died  without  pain  in  a  few  minutes. 
His  body  has  been  entrusted  to  me  by  Gen.  Beauregard,  to 
be  taken  to  New  Orleans,  and  remain  until  directions  are 
received  from  his  family/' 

My  long  and  close  friendship  with  this  departed  chieftain 
and  patriot,  forbid  me  to  trust  to  myself  in  giving  vent  to 
the  feelings  which  this  sad  intelligence  has  evoked.  With- 
out doing  injustice  to  the  living,  it  may  safely  be  asserted 
that  cur  loss  is  irreparable  ;  and  that  among  the  shining 
hosts  of  the  great  and  the  good  who  now  cluster  around  the 
banner  of  our  country,  there  exists  no  purer  spirit,  no  more 


heroic  soul  than  that  of  the  illustrious  man  whose  death  I 
join  you  in  lamenting. 

In  his  death  he  has  illustrated  the  character  for  which, 
through  life,  he  was  conspicuous,  that  of  singleness  of  pur- 
pose and  devotion  to  duty.  "With  his  whole  energies  bent 
on  attaining  the  victory  which  he  deemed  essential  to  his 
country's  cause,  he  rode  on  to  the  accomplishment  of  his 
object,  forgetful  of  self,  while  his  very  life-blood  was  fast 
ebbing  away.  His  last  breath  cheered  his  comrades  to  vic- 
tory. The  last  sound  he  heard  was  their  shout  of  triumph. 
His  last  thought  was  his  country's,  and  long  and  deeply 
will  his  country  mourn  his  loss. 

JEFFERSON  DAVIS. 


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